One Hour With You
by Achalys
Summary: Life doesn't give you many of those sort of life changing moments, so you take what you can get. Sometimes we can try to make more. Drabble series. TifaxZack Fack DISCONTINUED
1. A Hard Day's Night

_I own nothing._

"Can't sleep?"

The voice that had often invaded my thoughts for the last month or two did so again. The street light poured in through the cracks in the shades, giving the empty bar at least some light. I slowly spun my head around to see Zack sitting on one of the bar stools, a dark silhouette that blocked some of the light from hitting the bar. A ghost of a smile found its way onto my face.

"No, can you?"

He tilted his head a tiny bit and I thought that he was smiling. "Not a wink."

I turned around and felt back and forth for a pair of clean glasses. "Want a drink?" I offered.

"Aha, cheating your way into sleeping, huh? I'd try a glass of hot milk first." Came the amused and slightly smug reply. I took that as a no, and just took down a recently opened bottle of vodka down off of the shelf. Keeping a hand on the counter so as to not trip over myself, I made my way around to the front of the bar to join Zack. I pulled out the stool on his right and took a seat.

We were seated so close to each other that our elbows touched, and a comfortable silence spread between us.

"Why can't you sleep?" He decided to question eventually.

I shrugged, my grip on the bottle tightening and loosening. "Me and Cloud," I began, turning my head away slightly. "We had a fight. I'm just still a little worked up, I guess."

"What'd you fight about?" He continued.

I snorted quietly, my head bobbing a little. "Nothing important, really. I was just kind of in a bad mood, I guess." I admitted.

He chuckled, his shoulders shaking. "You two are hopeless," He decided.

I looked up at his face, only half of it concealed by the shadows as he turned to look back at me. Why did those eyes always seem to glow so brightly? A shadow of a dimple appeared on his cheek as he smiled at me. It really was a beautiful thing, that smile, and very contagious. I found myself smiling back.

"Tifa," His voice invaded my head once more.

"Yeah?"

"Don't take this the wrong way but," His eyes shone with either mischief or discomfort. Maybe a little bit of both. "Why are you in my bubble space?"

Thank you, Zack, for pointing out that I had leaned in, or up I guess, until our arms were squished together and my face was just a little bit too close to his. I quickly jerked myself away, embarrassed, and almost fell off of my bar stool. Laughing, Zack grabbed my elbow just in time and sat me back upright, steadying my stool in the process. His grip was light and warm. He kept laughing, making sure to keep his voice down, as I fixed my hair in a desperate attempt to hide my brick red face.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"Geez Tif, one day you're going to really get yourself in a scrap." He teased me with a wink and a slight nudge in the arm before getting up. Stretching, he yawned. "Man, I'm beat. I think that I might be able to get some shut-eye now. 'Night Tif, see you in the morning." And with another one of those contagious smiles he turned his back and left, his boots making a muted 'thud' with each step that he took up the stairs.

I watched him go silently.

He had no clue about what he had been talking about. I was already getting myself in a mess.

I could tell as I watched him climb the stairs.

_I'm staring a Fack drabble series for 2 reason: 1) when I get bored and have writer's block, they're my favorite couple to cure it ;) and 2) because there isn't enough Fack in the universe! XD_

_Please review!_


	2. Tell Me What You See

_I own nothing._

I watched as she pulled herself to a stop after passing the mirror in the hall. She had been carrying a laundry basket full of dirty clothes. I watched as she sighed and took one step back, placing the basket on the floor and straightening up so that she could see herself in the mirror's reflection. I stared at her like she stared at herself, only she looked with more skepticism than I did. She looked with more annoyance, with less love.

I watched as she played with her two dangling pearl earrings. I don't know how Cloud had managed to pick them out, they matched her so well.

I watched as she ran a hand through her hair, as if to detangle it, even though it was soft as silk. She rearranged her bangs and adjusted her hair so that some fell in front of her shoulders. I don't know why she didn't love running her hands through her thick locks like I so wanted to.

I watched as she turned to the side, placing one hand on her flat stomach and the other on her hip. She flattened her shirt and shorts out with a raised eyebrow. I don't know why she never realized that her body had killed so many men that you couldn't count them on ten sets of fingers.

I watched as she placed a hand on her cheek, sighing again as she turned her head left and right. I don't know why she didn't see how beautiful her porcelain skin was.

I don't know why she didn't see the depth and mystery in her crimson eyes like I did.

I don't know why her dark lashes and pink lips didn't convince her that she was gorgeous.

I don't know why she thought that she was unattractive.

And I don't know why it took her so long to notice me.

"Zack?" She spun her head toward me, finally noticing my presence, which had been hovering by the stairs. She quickly stopped picking herself apart and picked up the basket once more. "What are you doing?" She tried to sound normal.

I opened my mouth to answer her. I so wanted to answer her, to tell her exactly what I had been doing. To tell her that I had been staring at the most beautiful woman that the world had ever seen. Would ever see. But for some reason, I couldn't. I knew that she wouldn't believe me. But I so, so, _so_ wanted to tell her. The words burned in my throat. So I swallowed them back down, and said them in my heart, and my eyes. I hoped that she got the message.

"Nothing," I shrugged, and then glanced back down the stairs. "Just coming up to tell you that Cloud's back."

"Oh, Ok." And instantly, her face lit up.

I studied her for a long moment. "Here," I offered, stepping up to her. "Let me take care of that. You go see your man." I smiled down at her.

"Thanks Zack," She gladly let the basket get taken from her, and began to rush downstairs. But she paused, and looked back at the mirror. With yet another sigh, she ran down the stairs, down to the man that she thought was better than her.

I watched her, and I knew. She would never get the message.

_Please review. :) Thanks for reading._


	3. Glad All Over

**I own nothing. I know, I'm still trying to get over it, too.**

**. . .**

Snow fell at the station, fluttering here and there in the breeze, in no hurry to get anywhere. The only thing that got them motivated was when a train would whiz by. Despite the cold weather, people milled around and the station was fairly busy. But that made sense, Tifa thought, because it was the holiday season. Her breath collected in tiny crystals in front of her as she stood, waiting patiently for her train that was due in another five minutes or so.

She shifted on her feet, pushing the bags that she was holding up onto her arms so that she could fold them in an attempt to warm up. A cold breeze blew some hair into her eyes.

"Going' somewhere?"

A warm voice asked beside her. Looking over to her right, she saw a black jacket and a green scarf. When she looked up she saw Zack's tan face smiling down at her, his eyes looking strangely subtle in the snow. Well, subtle for a glowing blue. His inky hair had little flecks of white speckled here and there. And his nose was pink.

Her mouth stretched into a smile. "Hello, Zack. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged carelessly, his hands shoved into his pockets. "On my way to the house, you?"

"Same," She reached up and pulled some hair out of her mouth. Instead she got some fuzz from her gloves in there. "Did you call ahead?"

"No, why?"

"Cloud promised to take the kids out sledding today," She informed him, looking at the snow falling from the white sky. "So hopefully no one's home. You'd be locked out."

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow playfully. "Well I guess I better thank my lucky stars that I found you, eh?" He gave a deep chuckle. "I wouldn't want you guys to come home to find poor ol' me frozen on your doorstep."

She laughed loudly. "Oh Zack, knowing you, you'd probably stay alive just so you could make us feel terrible about it. Dying would be letting us off too easy!"

He joined in her laugher. "Hey now! That's not fair; I'd deserve some compensation for dying on my way to pay my family a visit." He gave her a nudge in the shoulder. It was probably meant for the ribs, but he was way too tall for that.

"I don't think so, you're already lucky that I thought far enough ahead to have made enough dinner for all of us, including you. So you owed me ahead of time." She nudged him back.

"Oh really? Well I guess since I haven't died I still owe ya then, huh?"

Tifa raised an eyebrow and leaned slightly away from the grinning ex-soldier. "What do you mean?"

Zack laughed. "Why are you so suspicious?"

"Because you're you, obviously. I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you." She cracked a smile even though her voice was serious.

He pulled a black-gloved hand out of his pocket and clutched his chest. "Oh Madam, you wound me!" He cried out in mock pain.

She laughed "You big baby," and gave him a good-natured shove.

"Hey!" Her shove hadn't really sent him off balance at all, but it was enough to surprise him. He laughed as he went to give her a shove back, but she ran away from him.

"Oh no! You'd send me flying!" She called back to him from several yards away.

That tan face never stopped smiling. "Ok, ok! Come on back here." He gestured towards the spot where she had been next to him. "I promise that I won't shove you."

"Or pull my hair?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

She didn't answer at first, she just grinned at him and marched back to her spot, placing her feet exactly back in the dents that she had made before. "Of course I'm serious. You are you." She said but she didn't turn her head back towards him.

"And you are you."

The breeze picked up. She twisted around to look up at him, the wind blowing her hair in her eyes. He wasn't looking at her any more; he was just looking up at the cold blank sky. His breath came out just like hers, in small puffs of water crystals. He wasn't smiling, he was just staring contently. But it was like he was waiting. For what, she had no idea, but she was pretty sure that it wasn't for anything there. She almost wished that it was.

She opened her mouth to say something, but decided that she didn't want to disturb that face, or those eyes. Sighing, she looked back in front of her, pushing some hair behind her ear and out of her face. Reaching her arm out, she linked it with his and pulled herself closer to him. Closing her eyes, she held him close and leaned her head on his arm He didn't seem disturbed or surprised in the least bit.

The air was disturbed when the train pulled in and quickly slowed to a stop, the whistle blowing. Tifa could hear people getting on and off, but she didn't move, and neither did he.

It was announced that the train was about to leave for Midgar, sector seven, in five minutes. And then it was announced at three minutes. And then it was announced that it was leaving the station, which it did. Still, neither of them moved. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, his face still searching the sky. A small smile was on his lips.

And the wind kept blowing small flecks of snow into their dark hair.

**. . .**

**I like this one. It seems kind of pointless, especially since it's only the beginning of October, but whatever. I wanted it to have snow. The strange thing is that the whole time while I was writing this, I listened to a French song. And seeing as I only took French for one year, and I have retain only one or two words of it at all, that seems pretty stupid. But I liked the tune, it went well with what I wanted the feel to be, you know?**

**The song's name is**** "****La tête haute" I have no idea who wrote it, but you can look it up. It was on some Canadian show, I think.**

**Anyway, thank you for reading!**


	4. I Forgot to Remember to Forget

**I own nothing.**

She had never thought that something dead could look so beautiful. Ashen trees surrounded her, ice-covered and unmoving in the slight breeze. The gleaming ground crunched beneath her feet as her breath crystallized and she stared up at the wide azure sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight.

And she was alone. Her attire was entirely black, except for her parka jacket, which was cream. The inky blackness of her boots stood out against the snow just as much as her loose hair did. Her grey scarf tried to compromise the two colors. She was just a figure without anything to her except the sky.

"Your cheeks are pink."

Well, she had been alone at first.

"So are yours," She countered with little change in her expression. In fact, she didn't even look away from the sky.

He chuckled and gave a small shrug. He was even more of an interruption to the icy environment than she was. His entire outfit was black, his usual attire, except for an added scarf, which was red. He looked like a shadow almost, but in a way he looked lighter than her. His tan skin had a strange glow to it with the snow's reflection.

For a long moment she just stared up at the sky and he stood next to her, staring at her with the same eyes. Only they weren't. Her eyes matched his scarf and his…They matched the sky.

"Why are you here?" She asked after a long moment.

"I'm here to see you." He said easily, still staring. "Aren't you going to look at me?"

She breathed in, held for a second, and then breathed out. It was slow and deliberate, if not a little shaky.

"No," She said finally.

"Why not?"

"Because if I do," She faltered. "Then you might not really be here."

He gave her a small smile. "I'm here," He reassured her.

The snow started to crunch again as she walked forward. "Then walk with me, please."

She didn't hear him as he fell into step beside her, but he was there. "Where are you?"

"I'm not sure." She answered simply. How she wanted so badly to look at him. But if she did…

He was quiet for a moment. "Shouldn't you find out then?"

"No," She sighed. "I don't feel like it. Who cares?"

"I care,"

She snorted. "You don't count."

He was quiet again, and she was scared that he had gone. But he spoke up again after a minute. "I want you to look at me."

"No,"

"Why not?"

"Because you're dead."

She had a feeling as she said it that somehow the words would break whatever spell had befallen her. A wave of sadness swept over her, and she couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to see him, just once more, to see if her memory served her right. To see if she could remember the exact shade of his eyes, his dimples, and his height. So she spun towards him faster than she had meant to. Because the last time she had seen him had been when she was a young girl who still wore that ridiculous cowgirl getup.

Well, he was a bit shorter than he had been. But he was there, and exactly how she had remembered him, dimples and all.

He stared at her like he had done from the beginning. He looked a bit sad. But he also looked like his old self, only older. Older in the eyes.

"I missed you," She blurted out.

"You barely knew me," He countered.

"You missed me, too." She insisted. He grinned.

"Maybe you do know me," He said quietly, and started to keep walking.

She started after him, desperate to stay by his side until her senses started kicking in, and he disappeared. But he just kept that pace, walking in the snow.

"It's a beautiful day out," He commented peacefully. She nodded.

"Yeah, it is." She whispered.

And so they walked like that for a long time, two drops of ink to ruin the sheet of snow that reflected the sun's light. She glanced at him every now and again, and he in turn would turn and watch her for minutes at a time. Her cheeks were still pink. And there was still not a cloud in sight.

Suddenly he stopped and turned away from her. She jerked herself to a stop.

"Time to go?"

He turned back, his face consumed by a half-smile. "Unfortunately," He admitted.

Her eyes felt the sting of hot tears, although they refused to fall just as much as she refused to let them fall. "I'm lost," She whimpered, clutching her jacket.

"You've never been lost once in your life." He assured her.

"But…I am." She protested quietly. She looked him straight into his eyes. "I don't want you to go."

She was quiet.

"But, I know that you have to, I suppose." She finished with a sigh.

He took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. His half-smile turned into a full one and he pulled her close against his chest. He was there, and he held her in his arms tightly. But he was really there. That fact made her want to cry even more.

"I'm sorry that I'm not here," He confessed into her hair.

After a moment, she said. "But you are."

She felt pressure on her hairline where he kissed her, and then she felt the extreme absence of his presence. He gave her one last smile and turned around to leave.

She watched him, racking her mind for ways to get him to just stay for a little while bit longer. "You told me so," She called after him.

He kept on walking.

But then he turned and flashed her one last bright grin.

"You're never lost."

And she suddenly found herself staring up at the cold sky again. She knew that he was gone, so she let the tears flow as they would, which they wouldn't. It seemed that even her tears had dried up.

And off in the distance there was an insignificant wisp of cloud in the sky.

**A/N: Haha, sorry for even MORE snow X) I just love writing things with snowy scenery. :P**

**So everyone does one with ghost Zack, or when Zack is dead, so I thought to myself "Hey, I never write something when Zack is actually dead!" Shocker. So I decided to write this. :) My inspiration came from "Gabriel" by Lamb. Beautiful song, you should deffinately check it out! :D**

**Strange, all of my work comes from songs. :| "Meus Snow Angelus" should translate into "My snow angel"  
**

**Review please!**


	5. Wild Honey Pie

**Nothing is owned by me.**

"Hey Cloud, help me make lunch, will you?" Tifa called in a rush as she ran around, trying to find the kids' coats, and then their scarves. It was sort of amazing how frantic that she could get in the morning. And how late. Apparently, her alarm hadn't gone off, so she was only woken up because Marlene decided that she wanted breakfast. I had been woken up by her inability to rush and stay quiet at the same time.

Pulling on a long-sleeved shirt, I trotted down the stairs.

"Cloud! Get up!" She called again. I noticed that she looked slightly less awake, or put together in general, than usual.

"Geez Tif," I yawned. "Cloud isn't even up." I guessed correctly. That chocobo would sleep through the apocalypse, I swear.

"Well get him up!" She ordered, clanging around the pots and pans in an attempt to find some sort of cooking utensil. Glancing out the window, she swore under her breath as she saw that it had apparently snowed during the night. She spun around, forgetting her last mission. "Marlene, go get two pairs of gloves for you and Denzel!" She ordered, and the little girl obeyed.

"Tifa, we only have fifteen more minutes." Denzel reminded her, sounding impatient.

"What's the hurry?" I scratched my hair sleepily as I asked the boy.

He looked up at me, a secret in his eyes. "School, it's important."

"Uh-huh," I raised an eyebrow and leaned down so that I was closer to his eye level. "What's her name?" I asked in a hushed tone.

The boy blushed, and looked shocked that I had guessed so quickly. "…Stella," He admitted moodily, embarrassed.

I laughed and stood back up straight. Ruffling his hair, I said. "No worries, Romeo. Your secret is safe with me."

"hmph, Good," He said and swatted my hand away.

"Zack, come 'ere!" Tifa called, still running around like crazy.

I winked down at Denzel. "Yeah, Tif?"

"I need you to make their lunches." She said as she ran past me to the base of the stairs. "Cloud! Get up!" And then she ran back into the kitchen.

"Why do you want Cloud up so badly?" I questioned.

"He has been sleeping long enough, and the rest of us are up, so why should he get to sleep any latter? He's being lazy!" She replied without looking at me. Obviously, she got a bit cranky when not woken up on time.

"Uh, sure." I consented, ignoring the 'lazy' part that she said about Cloud, and walked over to the fridge. There were three things in the world that I could cook, and they were cereal, bar-b-q, and sandwiches. So, sandwiches it was. Shuffling through the fridge until I had found various sandwich-making items, I loaded them all onto the counter, plus bread and a couple of knives.

"Denzel, did you brush your teeth?"

Four slices of bread, two for each kid…make that six slices.

"Yeah, of course. I'm not a kid."

On one side, put the peanut butter.

"Marlene, did you get the gloves?"

On the other side, put bananas.

"Yep!"

Put the bread together and cut down the middle. One sandwich down, two to go.

"No, Marlene, you can't let Denzel use Cloud's gloves. He'll need those if he goes out."

Next sandwich, put the ham on the left.

"Aw, come on, they look cool on me!"

Mustard and mayo on the right.

"Cloud! Get up right now!"

Put the bread together, slice it in half, and I've got sandwich number two.

"Denzel! Come on, the bus is here!"

Last sandwich.

"It is? Crap, Denzel, just use Cloud's gloves, ok?"

Peanut butter.

"Sweet! Ok, bye Tifa!"

Jelly.

"Bye Tifa!"

Put the sandwich together, cut it in half, and there you go.

"Wait!" Tifa called back before they were through the door. "Come get your lunches!" She took the two sandwiches and shoved them in bags, tossing one to each. "Ok, there you go!"

"Ok, bye Tifa!" The kids called back with a wave. "Bye Zack!" Marlene added, as if on second thought.

Tifa waved through the door. "Bye! Don't skip class!" She ordered, and I had a nagging feeling that she was directing that last bit to Denzel. I walked over to stand next to her. Her hair wasn't brushed and she had bags under her eyes. She let out a sigh as she stepped back from the door and shut it to the cold.

"Finally," She sunk down into one of the chairs around the kitchen table with another sigh. "That's done."

I sat down next to her. "You'd think that they'd be able to do it after all this time." I observed.

"Do what?"

"Find their own scarves." I said with a wiry smile.

"That's a good idea." She concluded, smiling back at me.

I pulled out the third sandwich and placed it in front of her. "There you go, for your efforts." I grinned. "Congratulations on another day of success."

She laughed when she saw me place it on the table. "What, no plates?" She asked, picking up one of the two halves to inspect what was inside of it.

"Just like second grade all over again,"

"Well then, I am honored." She played. Placing the half of the sandwich that she had picked up in front of me, she added. "Here, share in the spoils." We both laughed as we tapped our slices together in some sort of make-shift second grade toast. I ate almost half of my half in one bite. She took a substantially smaller bite.

"Darn it," I muttered, glancing back at the sandwich.

"What?" She asked after she had swallowed her bite.

"This isn't the sandwich that I made for you. Must've given it to one of the kids by accident," I laughed down at the peanut butter and banana sandwich.

She chuckled. "I didn't know that you were so picky about your sandwiches." She observed jokingly.

"Well, it's just that I made that sandwich with the stuff you like." I defended myself.

"Oh yeah? I didn't know that I such picky preferences, either. What kind of sandwich was it?" She asked.

"Ham, mustard, and mayo." I answered with a shrug. She started laughing. "What?" I raised a suspicious eyebrow at her.

"I _hate_ Ham,"

**I found this in my writing file on my laptop, and I thought that I'd post it. I think it's cute. :) Or is that wrong, considering that I wrote it? X) Ah well, whatever. I'm proud of myself.  
And f****or the record, I hate ham too.  
**

_**Review!**_


	6. Tip of My Tongue

**I own nothing.**

"_Good morning."_

I never say it, I'm up too early to say it without waking you up, and I'd hate to have to do that. I really, really would. That mess of black hair that always hides half of your face in the morning keeps me from doing. It's my secret why.

"_I made the coffee this morning."_

The strong smell wakes you up even after I'm gone, which is something that makes me smile when I think about it. I know that you don't like it as strong as I do, but you won't complain. You're just thankful for one less thing to do. You won't know who made it, but you'll have the wrong suspicions.

"_Need help with that?"_

You always have to go get the stool to reach that big dish at the top of the cabinet. You only ever use it when you want to make a big meal. It's probably a birthday or something. When you walk out of the room, I reach up and easily reach the dish, setting it down on the counter. I make sure to leave before you enter the room, because you'd probably give me an earful about feminine capabilities.

"_You lost this."_

I found one of those precious pearl earrings that Cloud had given you on the stair. I almost stepped on it. Bending down, I picked it up and held it in my hand. It was so small and dainty. I was jealous of his sense. Reluctantly, I marched up to your room and set it on your bedside table.

"_Need a lift?"_

Rain always comes at the worst time. It has a knack for that. But you never notice it until you're in it, for some reason. I guess you're just too busy. You called out for Cloud, but right there on the table was his set of keys. Only they had been mine. But that's ok, I just wish that I could've been there to give them to you.

"_I brought you back one."_

The pastry shop is a weakness that the Chocobo and I share. We can't help it, the sweetness calls to us. But I always like to try and get you something, just 'cause. Unfortunately I had handed the bag of goodies to Cloud. You Grinned and thanked him for it.

"_Take a break every once in a while."_

I know that you love the kids. It's your pleasure to help raise them. But you don't need to kill yourself over it. I scooped up both of the kids in my arms and carried them upstairs to bed. You hadn't finished the dishes, but when you did, you would have that one less thing to do. You'll be glad that they're getting old enough to be responsible to put themselves to bed.

"_Want help folding the clothes?"_

It's amazing how many articles of clothing little children produce. It really is. Grown-ups are only a little better, but that's because most of us stop spilling food on our shirts after five or so. I almost passed by the laundry room while you were out shopping. But I doubled back. How hard could it be?

"_Let's go out today."_

You never did anything on your days off, why is that? The bar was closed and the kids were at a friend's, and you had the rest of the day to yourself. That just didn't seem right. I left the money on the table with a note. When you saw it you frowned. I guess you recognized my handwriting, because I found the money next to my bed with a note scribbled under mine. _'Maybe next time.'_

"_You look beautiful today."_

I should've said it, I know. But even if I had, you weren't looking for it from me. It didn't matter if I had the guts to say it, it only mattered if her did. Well, he didn't. I guess that made two of us.

"_Here's to you."_

The tall glass of soda fizzled on the countertop as I poured a little more out of the can. I offered it to you, because everyone needs some carbonation in their lives. You just smiled and shook your head, saying something about being too tired. But I knew, and I saw you wipe at your eyes as you walked up the stairs. With a sigh I raised my glass. Here's to a beautiful lady.

**As usual, the one-sidedness rules. Haha. I really haven't really had any inspiration for these two lately. Hopefully things will change. :)**

**REVIEW!**


	7. When I'm Sixty Four

**I own nothing.**

Age is a really funny thing. It's not as quiet as people think it is. From the time that we're old enough to understand, people warn us about it. They say that it sneaks up without warning, and to enjoy everything that we can until we have it. Still, not everyone dreaded it. While it was practically a death-sentence to some, to others it was the ticket to freedom, to do whatever they wanted. And then there were the people like me, who never gave it a passing thought.

As I got older, Age was still screaming at me. In shop windows, on the television, it was all still in my face. But it was nothing to be scared of so I kept on ignoring it.

But then Age decided to come over and knock at the door. It knocks at everyone's door, I guess, but it still surprised me.

But just because it knocked didn't mean that I had to answer.

So I guess I went on like that forever. Only I didn't, because one day I lost someone. Age would never have a chance to get him, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing. I lost others, too, only for different reasons. Family, it seems, can be long distance.

Who would know that better than me?

The knocking got louder and louder, but I didn't want to answer. Answering would mean losing so many things that I loved. Well, I didn't know for sure, but I was pretty positive that it would.

But the knocking was so loud that I almost couldn't go to sleep at night.

One morning I woke up and the knocking was gone. It was a nice change, to say the least, although as little strange. I was relieved until I came downstairs to find Age sitting on the couch grinning up at me. It had a strangely scary and beautiful smile. It seems that not only had I let Age in, I had let it in ages ago. I just hadn't noticed.

I was right about it, too. Or at least, I was about some of it. I did lose things that I loved. The kids weren't kids anymore, they hadn't been for at least ten years. But there were new kids. It was getting harder and harder for me to keep up with the all-nighters at the bar. But I was thankful that the only ones who seriously were hitting on me were the annoying old friends who I think secretly knew how much I needed it. And then there was my hair. It had a line of gray, like someone had rubbed ash in my hair. I could deal with those developing wrinkles around my mouth and eyes better than I could deal with my hair. That was my greatest tragedy.

People left me. I guess everyone eventually gets left to die alone. But I wasn't that old yet.

At least I hoped that I wasn't.

I guess I sort of got used to Age being around, for better or for worse. It's not like I really had any choice. Sometimes it wasn't so bad. Sometimes it made me so sad that I thought that I would never be able to breathe again. How could it seem like they had been gone for such a long time when it had only been five years, at the most?

And how could it seem as if the ones that had left _so long_ ago left only yesterday?

In my mind it was only yesterday. In my mind I didn't have that stupid grey in my hair and my fingers never ached.

In my mind he was standing there with his hands on his hips, towering over me with his electric eyes and bright smile. How could a face like that ever get old? It wasn't possible, but I still wished that I had been there to see it happen.

Wherever _'there' _was.

"You look good."

And when I spun around I saw Age standing there looking down at me with a towering grace and a mischievous grin.

Was it me or my age that kept the words stuck in my throat for so long? "I…It's been a long time." And it really, really has been.

With a sad chuckle and a shrug, he sighed. "Yeah, it has. Too long." And for the first time in my life I was brave enough to stand there and study this Age. I almost was too scared to. But he was the same. He looked even taller, if that was even possible, and his shoulders were just as broad. His hands were starting to wrinkle with age, but they were just as big as they had always been. His hair had just a little more grey than mine, although it was spread out more evenly than mine was. And his eyes. They were the same electric blue that they had always been, even with the smile lines that were now very noticeable. They suited him.

Age suited him.

"I missed you."

"You have grey hair." I said it not because it was so strange, but more because I was relieved about it. Somehow I guess I had prepared myself for him to walk through that door and look like he was still twenty four.

He cracked a lopsided grin. "So do you."

I screwed my eyes shut and nodded. "Yeah, I hate it." I laughed nervously. Maybe I shouldn't have closed my eyes. Maybe he'd be gone when I opened them.

But he pulled me into the fiercest bear hug that I had felt since he had left. And with my eyes shut like that Age wasn't there, and I was twenty three and holding onto the man that I loved more than the whole world. I wish that I had told him before he left.

"I love you." The words came out in a jumble, as if it was the first time that that had occurred to me. But I had to say it, before anything else in the world. Age had taught me to be impatient.

He breathed in deeply, his face buried in my ugly hair. "I love you too." I hadn't needed to hear it back, but I was glad that I did.

"I'm so glad," He continued slowly. "That I came home."

I opened my eyes to find that he wasn't Age like I had thought he was. I was Age, it was me. But then he ran a hand through my hair and cupped my cheek and it seemed to me that that was wrong, too. I wasn't Age, either. But Age was still there, wasn't he? Of course he was.

Age was outside, outside of the house, outside of the bar, and outside of his arms. Age was just a visitor, I guess. A very long-term visitor, but still just a visitor. His hands, his skin, and his smile were what were the permanent residents.

And of course his eyes. Those, I think, could never die.

**.x.**

**I capitalized Age for a reason in this. I think age can be a person, sort of. It can be represented in your friends, your family, and everywhere, if you let it. In a sense it could follow you. My purpose for this is not to make Tifa look like a vain woman who's scared of growing old, but more of a woman who's scared that she'll never be able to do what she should've done, even if she doesn't realize it. I love reading about older characters, especially when it's something like this. I always love thinking of what people will be like when they're older.**

**For some reason, the main inspiration for this song came to me while listening to "Sure as Hell" by This Providence. It's short, but it's such a good song. I must've played it over a thousand times while writing this. X)**

**Oh, and btw, both Tifa and Zack are somewhere in their early to mid fifties in this. Sorry if I made it unclear.**

**ALSO The titles have been changed! They are now in english, but different from the originals. Same stuff though. :)**

**Please Review. Thanks! :)**


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